Vehicle compartments are stored with plenty of features and technologies; therefore the space for each individual component is more and more limited. Airbag modules have to become smaller for each new generation of vehicles. One major issue is the volume of the folded cushion pack defines the size of the housing and cover. To receive a small package the cushion has to be packed under high load into a small housing or plastic shell and consequently the cushion pack is applying high reaction loads to its surrounding environment. Soft Pack modules, as they are called, for curtain and seat backs for instance don't have separate covers that could support this tight packaging.
In seat mounted airbags, the folded airbag can create unsightly bulges. In curtain airbags mounted in roof rails, the cushion material needs to be hand stuffed into a long narrow channel. Accordingly, the size of the folded material is critical.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a fully functional airbag pack that occupies less space without sacrificing the inflation volume of the airbag or weakening the strength and overall physical characteristics of the cushion material. These and other advantages are achieved by the invention as described hereinafter.